Using canon xti with sigma 55-200 mm lens, shooting 200 mm in RAW at a cell phone tower 1/2 mile away to check for clarity in Colorado. There is no haze and no adjustments were made in ACR.

Should my image be burry at 200% magnification in ACR? I'm just trying to determine what to expect from my lens and if a better lens would give more clarity at that distance.[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Did you have the camera on a tripod and use shutter-lockup with delay? What aperture did you use it at? Photozone does indicate that the lens is capable of very good sharpness: [a href=\"http://www.photozone.de/8Reviews/lenses/sigma_55200_456/index.htm]http://www.photozone.de/8Reviews/lenses/si...0_456/index.htm[/url]

how blurry is blurry? could you post a crop?a cheap lens like that at such a focal length and an AA'ed bayer sensor AND 200% on-screen interpolation can get you soft images. If it looks good at 50% it should be fine.

I have takn this shot several times over several days at different settings always using tripod and remote without mirror lockup and without polarizing lens. The results are the same.I just want to know if I'm expecting to much from the lens at 1/2 mile and 200% magnification in ACR. Looks good at 50%.

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Ok, you have 2 possibilties. 1, the camera is either front or rear focussing2, the lens has a problem3, you picked a murky/hazy etc day4, You're being too critical. If its sharp at 100% then it's probably fine